From the creation of multiple post-World War II international courts to the proliferation of tribunals following wars in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda in the 1990s, international criminal justice has become a fixture of today's geopolitical landscape.
Leveraging its leadership, real-world expertise, and Georgetown Law’s expansive network, the International Criminal Justice Initiative (ICJI) educates policymakers and other stakeholders on the critical role of international criminal justice in promoting security and prosperity. It advocates for timely criminal accountability for atrocity crimes committed anywhere and offers invaluable practical support to accountability efforts.
ICJI seeks to forge a more equitable, efficient, and effective global system of criminal accountability for “atrocity crimes” – an umbrella term that includes war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression.
To learn more about our work, view our ICJI Information Sheet and visit us on social media.
Ukrainian authorities have documented more than 20,600 children forcibly displaced or deported from occupied territories. As international bodies increasingly classify these forced transfers as crimes against humanity, the imperative to understand and enforce international humanitarian law has never been more urgent.
Amb. (Ret.) Clint Williamson, Senior Director for International Justice at Georgetown University and Lead Coordinator of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine (ACA), issued a statement following the death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, honoring the late lawmaker’s dedication to international accountability.
When news coverage describes an airstrike as "disproportionate," what does that actually mean under international law? The word is often used loosely as a synonym for "excessive" or "unjustified." But the legal principle of proportionality in International Humanitarian Law (IHL) has a precise and demanding definition. Understanding this distinction matters enormously for accountability efforts in conflicts like Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.
On April 14 and 15, ICJI hosted discussions on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) at Georgetown University’s Main and Capitol Campuses. The events were moderated by Amb. (Ret) Clint Williamson (L), Georgetown’s senior director for international justice and the lead coordinator for the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine (ACA), and featured two of ICJI’s distinguished legal experts working on the ACA project, Dr. Ingrid Elliott (Center), Senior Fellow with ICJI, and Prof. Dermot Groome (R).
Dr. Elliott (L) said that contrary to popular belief, sexual violence against men is prevalent in many conflicts, particularly in detention where it is used as a method to break male opponents, military or political.
There was agreement that sexual violence is being used as a tactic by Russian forces. “The policy is evidenced by the patterns of occupation,” said Professor Groome (R). There is a clear pattern of CRSV across regions, particularly in places of detention, that is only explained by a policy that “ties it all together.”
ICJI led a three-day exchange visit between Ukrainian prosecutors and investigators and their Croatian counterparts to promote information sharing in Split, Croatia.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin (second from right) speaks on the need for Ukraine to learn from the Croatian experience during the Homeland War. He is joined by ICJI Senior Director Amb. Clint Williamson (left), Ivan Malenica, Minister of Justice and Public Administration of the Republic of Croatia (second from left), and Zlata Hrvoj-Šipek, State Attorney General of the Republic of Croatia (right).
ICJI senior expert Vincent Degert presents on the EU Accession process as it relates to the investigation and prosecution of war crimes.
ICJI Senior Director and ACA Lead Coordinator, Ambassador (ret.) Clint Williamson (left) speaks with ACA-ICJI international experts Ingrid Elliott (center left), Davorka Čolak (center right), and Irisa Čevra (right) on providing international support for the investigations and prosecutions of atrocity crimes in Ukraine.
Standing room only for ICJI's inaugural discussion on atrocity crimes prosecutions Ukraine.
Former Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, Stephen Rapp, questions the panel on their work in Ukraine.
ICJI-ACA expert Ingrid Elliot discusses issues related to conflict-related sexual violence during Russia's ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine.
ICJI-ACA expert Davorka Čolak answers audience questions.
Georgetown University Law Center faculty member, Professor Jane Stromseth, provides opening remarks for the panel discussion.
ICJI-ACA expert Irisa Čevra provides insight into Bosnia and Herzegovina's approach to accountability for atrocity crimes.
